FTC finds errors in 1 of 5 American credit reports

A study by the U.S. Trade Commission found one in five Americans had a mistake on their credit report -- mistakes that could become costly.

In addition, more than 4 million Americans had errors that were so bad that their credit score was being lowered. Martha Lucey with Clearpoint Credit Counseling in Fresno wasn't surprised by the results. "We see a substantial number of consumers coming in with inaccurate information on their credit report. It can be very minor to substantial issues, so it's really important to keep an eye on your credit," said Lucey.

Lucey said free credit reports are available once a year from www.annualcreditreport.com. Once you get yours, you should not only make sure it accurately depicts your credit history, but also check your basic information for any errors.

Lithia Finance Manager Stan Ivy says the dealership runs about 20 to 30 credit reports a day. From time to time, customers will complain of mistakes. "For example, juniors. You can have a dad and a son, and I've seen credit actually pull dad's credit for the son," said Ivy.

If you do find a mistake on your report, you'll have to report errors in writing to the credit reporting agency.